Goalie Questions Persist For Red Wings
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - With only seven games remaining in the regular season, the Detroit Red Wings continue to struggle in net, where neither Jimmy Howard nor Petr Mrazek has seized control of the starting role.
Mrazek played well Saturday, shutting out the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he did not continue the momentum into his next start.
On Sunday, Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock pulled Mrazek at the end of the first period against the New York Islanders. Mrazek had already allowed four goals on 11 shots.
Babcock gave Mrazek the weekend starts after allowing Howard, who earlier this season was selected for the All-Star Game, an opportunity Thursday to bounce back from his shoddy outing Tuesday.
On Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, however, Babcock pulled Howard after the first period, during which Howard gave up three goals on 10 shots.
Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes, Howard had allowed five goals.
Howard has a record of 21-13-10 this season with a 2.43 goals against average and a save percentage of .911.
Mrazek has a record of 15-7-1 with a 2.54 goals against average and a save percentage of .912.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland made it clear this weekend that Howard's experience makes him the preferred option if the competition is close.
"At the end of the day, yeah, why wouldn't he be the guy?" Holland said Saturday. "He was a goaltender selected by the U.S. team for the Olympic team. Two, three years ago he went to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs. I thought he was a big story in the Anaheim series and a big story in the Chicago series.
"It's day-by-day, but certainly the history and the track record of players has to have a bearing on decisions that we make," Holland added. "That has to factor in whatever decisions you make as you work your way through the season."
Holland attributed some of the team's struggles in net to simple luck, particularly for Howard. Nevertheless, Holland said - as did Babcock earlier in the week - that the Red Wings will go with whichever goaltender plays better.
"We've got to make the playoffs," Holland said. "When you wake up today, you play the guy and the players that you think give you the best chance to win that night."
